Heavy lifting fat loss superset workout

Shear flab, gain muscle and improve cardio fitness. Job done.

By
Men's Health

06/05/2016

Ready to drop fat by lifting heavy? Personal trainer James King is on hand with a big-lifting circuit comprised of little rest, supersets and maximum effort "heart rate spikers" in between sets. If you're used to bog-standard bicep curls and searching for a workout to beast your body with, it doesn't get better than this. Let's see what you're made of.

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1Barbell bench press

Perform the first two exercises as a superset

Sets: 3

Reps: 8

Rest: 0

Lie back on a flat bench holding a barbell in the rack above you with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Lift the bar off the rack and position it above your chest with arms fully extended. From the starting position, breathe in and lower the bar slowly until it skims the middle of your chest. Push the bar back to the starting position explosively as you breathe out. That’s one rep.

2Press-up

Sets: 3

Reps: 10

Rest: 60 secs

Set up with your weight supported on your toes and hands beneath your shoulders, body straight. Take care to keep your core locked so a straight line forms between your head, glutes and heels. Lower your body until your chest is an inch from the ground then explosively drive up by fully extending your arms.

3Rowing

Heart rate spike 1: 500m row at maximum effort.

Sets: 1

Reps: 500m

Rest: 3 mins

Sit at a rowing machine with your feet fastened and grab the handle with an overhand grip. Straighten your legs to push the seat back – when your hands pass your knees, pull them up to your chest. Reverse the movement and repeat.

4Lat pulldown

Perform the next two exercises as a superset

Sets: 3

Reps: 8

Rest: 0

Kneel in front of the cable machine and face away. Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you, shoulder-width apart. Lean back slightly and push your chest out. Pull the bar down to your chest, then return slowly to the start position. Your torso should remain still throughout.

5Pull-ups

Sets: 3

Reps: To failure

Rest: 60 secs

Grab the handles of the pull-up station with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended. Your hands should be around shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, exhale and drive your elbows towards your hips to bring your chin above the bar. Lower under control back to the start position.

6Front squat

Perform the next two exercises as a superset

Sets: 3

Reps: 8

Rest: 0

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a barbell across your upper chest. You can either support the weight on your fingers, with wrists extended, or cross your arms to support the weight. Taking care to keep to not arch your back, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to the start position.

7Box jump

Sets: 3

Reps: 10

Rest: 60 secs

Set yourself a comfortable distance from the box with feet shoulder width apart. Drop quickly into a quarter squat, swing your arms and explode upwards to jump onto the box. Land as softly as possible. Now step backwards off the box under control.

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